GUILTY TX - Gerren Isgrigg, 6, disabled, left to die in Wylie park, 12 April 2010

[kissdegirl]

That was the stepson of Darlene that made the heartless comment, not grandpa. FWIW

Gerren had the mentality of a 2 month of baby according to the affidavit. He wasn't without feelings, thoughts, urges to eat or comprehending discomfort.

What an ignorant statement the uncle made. Shame on him and his sister (mother of Gerren).

Yeah, I wasn't sure after I saw it if it was Gerren's father or Darlene's stepson...

This entire thing is just so sickening. You know, people can argue ending the life of someone in a persistant vegitative state....they have....but you don't dump your family, or anyone, or any child like that. Sorry for preaching to the choir. I'm just so :furious::banghead:

 

[Amster]

Sounds like maybe the assisted living center that Gerren was once in called in the tip....

The dad had no idea where Gerren was. His ex led him to believe that Gerren was with her. He paid her $700 per month in child support. The last time he saw his son, he was in the care center. Next, he learned that his ex had taken him home and her mom had moved to help care for him. Sounds like he was deployed for a lot of the time....

Scary that recently, grandma had been helping raise other grandkids. Ages 2-11. This is crazy!

 

[PassTheMotrin]

For anyone interested, one of the posters on one of the FB groups has asked people to light candle's tonight for Gerren at 8 PM CST. I will be lighting one for him.
I also see that there is a new group trying to get a live memorial going for the spot he was found. Since it is federal land, it has to be a LIVE plant or tree, and has to be native.

I vote for a Weeping Willow.

 

[butterfly1978]

This is the most horrific story I have read in a long time.
I have multiple points to make here. First off I take care of my mother everyday, so my dad can work just to keep insurance. Every evening I come home and I am tired, I'm frustrated and I wonder why me. While my sisters who simply call about once a month to tell me about thier problems get to have thier own lives. Then I think about my dad, he gets up and goes to work every day and then comes home and takes care of my mom til he has to get up and go to work the next day, he never gets a break. We have been doing this for over a year now and its hard, its tiring and its frustrating and in a way its not fair, but then I stop and I think about my mother and what she must be going through. I think how frustrated she must be and how she must feel to have to have someone take care of her, and how she must feel about knowing she will never get better and know that she is basically waiting to die and I quickly stop feeling sorry for myself...
This poor baby did not ask to be this way, as a matter of fact he never asked to be born. He is the one who never had the oppurtunity to enjoy life. He is the one who never got to run and play, he is the one who had to rely on the basic nessesities of life, and he was abandoned. I don't feel the least bit sorry for any of them, not for the grand mother... SHE HAD CHOICES, HE DID NOT!.... I don't feel sorry for this mother.....SHE HAD CHOICES AND MADE THE WRONG ONES, HE DID NOT!!.... This father he really gets me, he stated that if they would have called he would have taken him, what kind of BS is that? WHY DIDN'T HE CALL? WHY DIDN'T HE DEMAND TO SEE HIS SON? WHY DIDN'T HE GO TO COURT FOR CUSTODY? The Dad had choices. HE DID NOT...... The grandpa, was okay with the granny "dropping him off at SS" what kind of crap is that?
EVERYONE OF THEM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SWEET BABY BEING DEAD RIGHT NOW, EVERYONE OF THEM SHOULD BE UNDER THE JAIL!!! NONE OF THEM SHOULD SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN, THEY SHOULD HAVE TO ENDURE THE SAME THING THIS LITTLE BOY HAD TO ENDURE FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS!

 

[Cubby]

In the affidavit it said Gerren couldn't make any sounds, so crying out for help wasn't an option either.

Was he also mute? Then his cries would have been soft at best? Because he was no longer an infant at 6..........and if he was unable to know to make noise for attention even when he could not speak.

:furious: :furious: :furious: :furious: :furious: :furious: :furious:

 

[joeskidbeck]

This is the most horrific story I have read in a long time.
I have multiple points to make here. First off I take care of my mother everyday, so my dad can work just to keep insurance. Every evening I come home and I am tired, I'm frustrated and I wonder why me. While my sisters who simply call about once a month to tell me about thier problems get to have thier own lives. Then I think about my dad, he gets up and goes to work every day and then comes home and takes care of my mom til he has to get up and go to work the next day, he never gets a break. We have been doing this for over a year now and its hard, its tiring and its frustrating and in a way its not fair, but then I stop and I think about my mother and what she must be going through. I think how frustrated she must be and how she must feel to have to have someone take care of her, and how she must feel about knowing she will never get better and know that she is basically waiting to die and I quickly stop feeling sorry for myself...
This poor baby did not ask to be this way, as a matter of fact he never asked to be born. He is the one who never had the oppurtunity to enjoy life. He is the one who never got to run and play, he is the one who had to rely on the basic nessesities of life, and he was abandoned. I don't feel the least bit sorry for any of them, not for the grand mother... SHE HAD CHOICES, HE DID NOT!.... I don't feel sorry for this mother.....SHE HAD CHOICES AND MADE THE WRONG ONES, HE DID NOT!!.... This father he really gets me, he stated that if they would have called he would have taken him, what kind of BS is that? WHY DIDN'T HE CALL? WHY DIDN'T HE DEMAND TO SEE HIS SON? WHY DIDN'T HE GO TO COURT FOR CUSTODY? The Dad had choices. HE DID NOT...... The grandpa, was okay with the granny "dropping him off at SS" what kind of crap is that?
EVERYONE OF THEM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SWEET BABY BEING DEAD RIGHT NOW, EVERYONE OF THEM SHOULD BE UNDER THE JAIL!!! NONE OF THEM SHOULD SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN, THEY SHOULD HAVE TO ENDURE THE SAME THING THIS LITTLE BOY HAD TO ENDURE FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS!

Butterfly, I will keep you in my prayers as I know exactly what you are going through. My dad was very ill the last year of his life and my 63 year old mother worked the night shift in order to keep his insurance. I moved in with them in order to take care of him while my mom worked. I also worked a full time job during the day. I won't lie, at times I wondered "why me". My sisters both had families with children still at home so they couldn't help with the every day care. Please know that after your mother is gone, you will be grateful for every minute that you had with her, and the rest of your family will be regretting every moment they lost. It's ok to feel bad every now and then. You are only human and going through the toughest time of your life. I said all this to say, "hang on", it will be worth it to you for the rest of your life. If ever you need someone to vent to, please pm me. I know what it's like.
For the life of me, I cannot relate to this grandmother. I wish some piece of info would come out to make me think, ok, I get it now, but that's not gonna happen here. Please, Angels, hold little Gerren tight, he has a lot of lost love to make up for.

 

[NewMommy09]

I vote for a Weeping Willow.

That was the exact thought I had too. Beautiful tree's too.

 

[NewMommy09]

Was he also mute? Then his cries would have been soft at best? Because he was no longer an infant at 6..........and if he was unable to know to make noise for attention even when he could not speak.

:furious: :furious: :furious: :furious: :furious: :furious: :furious:

Per the affidavit, when police made contact with Patrick Phillips on 4/23, he said that Gerren was "completely mute and unable to make noise, did not have control of his limbs and was unable to move"

Here's the link again to the news story with the affidavit.
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/042610-grandma-left-note-with-boy-affadavit

ETA: Per affidavit: Darlene said that while driving in the Collin County area she left Gerren in an unknown park area on Monday April 12th. A little way down from that it says she removed his feeding tube before going to the park. (Kinda sounds like this was premeditated, but she's trying to make it sound like it was a split second decision. Setting up for insanity defense?, JMO).
Affidavit states Darlene intentionally or knowingly caused Gerrens death by intentionally leaving him in a place where he was unlikely to be located and due to his age, physical disabilities, removal of feeding tube and medical supplies needed to maintain the childs health and his inability to make noise, he was unable to care for himself.

 

[cakegirl0905]

Ugh, that vegetable comment keeps getting me.
When I was 12 or so, I had a cousin born who the doctors swore up and down would be a vegetable. He had a feeding tube, couldn't walk or speak (just make sounds). He was, however, so very aware of the family around him and who loved him. You could see it shining from his face when you spent time with him.
His parents were very young-20-and very poor with two other children but gave him everything within themselves. Vegetable? NO. There was a soul within that little body.
He died of pneumonia when he was 5 1/2. I wasn't there, but his mom said they took him into a room at the hospital and she told him he would be alright. She said he shook his head no, that he knew he was dying.
I think of Gerren. He was blind and deaf, but he knew someone was holding him, caring for him. And then he knew he was alone and hot and had insects from the elements crawling on him, that he was hungry, that his diaper needed to be changed. It breaks my heart.

 

[CathyinTexas]

Who knows.. All I just read was bio mom and dad are on other sides of the country. Grandma was not alone caring for this child as her husband is listed as a visitor on her arrest info. Hey Grandpa what happened with your caring for your grandson?

That totals 4.. 4 people responsible with and entrusted for Gerrens well being. Mom off somewhere, dad off somewhere and grandma and grandpa fail and dump this poor child under a bush.

Dang, if this is not proof that biological family is NOT always the best for a childs well being.

Counting 4 again, who passed the buck onto someone else. GRRRR

Where were the mandatory reporters?
How long did Grandma and Grandpa have custody and care of Gerren?

If I say more I will have to edit and time myself out.

This is a tragic case of a child with a disability not valued and thrown away like trash. I have to say though that statistics prove that more children die in foster care than bio homes at least 4 to 1. The statistics are the same for physical and sexual abuse.

 

[CathyinTexas]

She is in the Collin County jail which is the same area - so I assume she & her husband live somewhere right there.

Texas has all kinds of programs & benefts for "caretakers" , especially if they are disabled.

It may be a whole different story if she didnt have LEGAL custody of Gerren.

Where did you get that information? I know for a fact that most all of the "programs" in Texas have huge waiting lists. There are 15,000 plus kids with autism on the CLASS waiting list, for example. It is a minimum of 10 years or more for a child to receive help, which is when/how the state pays for caregivers to assist the family. I am no way defending this grandmother. It is a crime that she left that child to die. I also think her daughter should be charged with abandonment, and accessory to this crime.

 

[CathyinTexas]

That was the stepson of Darlene that made the heartless comment, not grandpa. FWIW

Gerren had the mentality of a 2 month of baby according to the affidavit. He wasn't without feelings, thoughts, urges to eat or comprehending discomfort.

What an ignorant statement the uncle made. Shame on him and his sister (mother of Gerren).

If the man you are referring to is the mother's brother, and then he is Darlene's stepson, which means that Darlene is Gerren's mother stepmother. Which mean she isn't really his grandmother, right?

 

[fhc]

If the man you are referring to is the mother's brother, and then he is Darlene's stepson, which means that Darlene is Gerren's mother stepmother. Which mean she isn't really his grandmother, right?

I'm sorry, please accept my apologies. That was the stepson of Patrick Phillips and natural son of Darlene Phillips, if I understand correctly.

 

[Cubby]

Where did you get that information? I know for a fact that most all of the "programs" in Texas have huge waiting lists. There are 15,000 plus kids with autism on the CLASS waiting list, for example. It is a minimum of 10 years or more for a child to receive help, which is when/how the state pays for caregivers to assist the family. I am no way defending this grandmother. It is a crime that she left that child to die. I also think her daughter should be charged with abandonment, and accessory to this crime.

I think the difference is Gerren would have qualified for medical insurance and progams under is fathers insurance. In Gerrens condition, there is no way he would have been on some long waiting list. Unless it was for services such as Easter Seals or something like that were there is a wait, but not years and years of a wait.

I'm going to beg to differ on your comment about foster care. There are plenty of good foster homes out there where those people love and care for kids as their own. Clearly Gerren was failed by his BIO family. also, where stats go, anyone can formulate most statistics into anything they want. Kind of like where they say accusations of a parent molesting a child are false from 2- over 50% of the time. Clearly a wide range.... depending on which side of the debate is talking stats.

JMO

 

[Hope32]

When people are at the end of their wits, and physically and mentally exhausted, which sounds like it is possible that this grandma was, they do stupid and dumb things. I'm hoping this Grandma was hopefully just mentally right, and made a mistake. It sounds like she just couldn't take it anymore.

 

[believe09]

She pulled his tube out and left him under a bush. Cause he couldnt move right? And he was found under a bush.

She was right-he was found eventually.

Why couldnt she just leave him at a firestation, the hospital, with her husband? If she was primary caregiver, in spirit at least, why this choice? I guess she didnt view at him as a person either...or as a life.

Oh my.

 

[I AM THE 14 CAR]

I think the difference is Gerren would have qualified for medical insurance and progams under is fathers insurance. In Gerrens condition, there is no way he would have been on some long waiting list. Unless it was for services such as Easter Seals or something like that were there is a wait, but not years and years of a wait.

I'm going to beg to differ on your comment about foster care. There are plenty of good foster homes out there where those people love and care for kids as their own. Clearly Gerren was failed by his BIO family. also, where stats go, anyone can formulate most statistics into anything they want. Kind of like where they say accusations of a parent molesting a child are false from 2- over 50% of the time. Clearly a wide range.... depending on which side of the debate is talking stats.

JMO

Thank you for your input on possible benefits.
I havnt seen anything stateing he was covered by any sort of health insurance....yet he was in a facility a few years back.
There isnt a long wait for various programs in the state. Medicaid (SCHIP) only takes 30 days or so. Theres also Primary Care Case Management (PCCM) that pays for pretty much anything - My great uncle was on it & my mother had it wrapped up in less than a month.
Medically Dependent Child Program (MDCP) for respite & other care.....and any many more.
Military benefits would have helped - along with that $700.00 child support.

There were plenty of benefits for Gerren out there. IF grandma had legal custody of Gerren , she could have applied also....just like Foster Parents who give of there heart.

*Texas Health & Human Serices

 

[Cubby]

Thank you for your input on possible benefits.
I havnt seen anything stateing he was covered by any sort of health insurance....yet he was in a facility a few years back.
There isnt a long wait for various programs in the state. Medicaid (SCHIP) only takes 30 days or so. Theres also Primary Care Case Management (PCCM) that pays for pretty much anything - My great uncle was on it & my mother had it wrapped up in less than a month.
Medically Dependent Child Program (MDCP) for respite & other care.....and any many more.
Military benefits would have helped - along with that $700.00 child support.

There were plenty of benefits for Gerren out there. IF grandma had legal custody of Gerren , she could have applied also....just like Foster Parents who give of there heart.

*Texas Health & Human Serices

BBM. Somewhat off topic but you are right. There was just a thread somewhere here at WS regarding a girl who had been terrible disabled because her birth father shook her so hard at 2 months of age she was pretty much a vegetable and bed ridden for her 18 or 19 years of life. She was lovingly cared for by an adoptive mother who cared for her until she just recently passed away. Now that she is gone, her bio father and possibly her bio mother was/were arrested for murder charges because her cause of death was a direct result of being shaken so brutally at 2 months even though the shaking occured 19 years ago.

I'm sharing this because it doesn't mean there are not loving families available who are willing and would care for someone with Gerrens special needs.

Going to try and find the thread if I can and link it here.......

Here it is. Interesting and somewhat heartbreaking read if anyone cares to take a look. This adoptive mother lovingly cared for this girl for 19 years until her passing. I imagine her state wasn't much different from Gerrens, outside of the circumstances for what caused their special needs.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101880&highlight=father+arrested+shaken+baby

 

[Kat]

Custody would in no way effect Gerren's eligibility for military medical benefits. It might affect parts of the Exceptional Family Member Program -- for instance, the assignments the father might get, since he wouldn't necessarily have to be assigned close to where Gerren was getting treatment -- but not the medical benefits.
It wouldn't matter if Gerren's father was never married to his mother -- it wouldn't even matter if Gerren's father had never seen him and had no contact with him, Gerren would still have the right for his medical needs to be taken care of by TriCare. But, the father would have to enroll him as a dependent. It was on the father to make sure Gerren was getting his benefits.

I have only read this thread, and have nothing to add to the thread other than I am deeply saddened and angered. God Bless this child.

To Steadfast and Cubby (I forgot how to quote them both but they were discussing this and I wanted to add a small comment about Military dependents.

From reading the thread I saw it mentioned that even though the Mother and Father of Gerren were never married he paid child support (I hope I didn't read that wrong). Anyway, Steadfast is correct. The active duty service member is responsible for enrolling Gerren into the DEERS program. (DEERS is an acronym for Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System) that would have made Gerren eligible for TriCare health insurance.

That can be done voluntarily by the Service Member or it can be court ordered. (Once a service member is proven by court to have a dependent (child) whether or not he/she is married to the child's other parent there are regulations that require that Service Member to provide for that child). Failure to provide can result in at best a field grade article 15 or at worst involuntary seperation from military.

What I'm trying to say is that there is a very good chance Gerren had Medical care through Tricare and his custodial parent would have received a list of Doc's to access in her area for Gerrens' needs.

Even if Gma was not named Guardian, a simple power of attn (which can be obtained through free legal services) would have given Gma the ability to access medical care for Garren.

Sorry if this seems rambly. Steadfast has extensive knowledge in this area, so I was not correcting her I was just adding to her post.

Again, I pray that Gerren is running in Heaven, healed and laughing with Caylee and Haleigh.

 

[Cubby]

Thank you Kat! Gerrens parents were divorced. Either way though Gerren would have qualified under his dads medical.

Kind of OT, but the only problem I have had as an SP with my sons father providing medical insurance is that some health insurance providers will accept a copy of a court order to provide insurance as notification/permission due to HIPPA laws. Some require written permission from the NCP even though they are not the custodial parent and may have no legal custody, such as in the case with my sons father.

It was very difficult and took years of chasing him to get him to sign a damn pc. of paper allowing me access to my sons health insurance info, even though I have sole physical and legal custody. It really all depends on how cooperative the parent required to provide insurance wants to be. In this case, from all appearances, we have NO reason to believe Gerrens father would not have cooperated and allowed whatever acces/permission based on HIPPA to either his ex wife or Gerrens maternal grandmother.

Sorry to get OT there... but it is frustrating that HIPPA law has that loop hole that doesn't allow a custodial parent access to their childs health info..... I'm fortunate in that my sons current health insurance provider will accept the copy of the court order versus something signed by his dad.